Thursday, December 15, 2016

Detective Evans from the Ashland Police Department spoke to Professor Rogers' CJ 362 (Criminal Law) class about his professional background and on the topics of drug abuse and drug investigations. He spoke about the devastating effects of heroin addiction on the user, their family and the community, and showed the class two video-recorded drug buys. Additionally, using photos, he discussed a child abuse case in which a drug addict was the abuser. READ MORE

Summer research internships are competitive, but our students have a great track record of taking part in these great opportunities. Use the Summer Research Internship tag on the AU Science Blog to see examples of where our students have gone in the past. It is best to apply to multiple opportunities to increase your chance of getting one. Ashland Science Blog

Wednesday, December 14, 2016

The Cleveland Plain Dealer and Cleveland.com printed a guest column written by Dr. John Moser, AU Professor of History and Co-Chair of the master's program in American History and Government at the Ashbrook Center. Dr. Moser's article, titled "Pearl Harbor at 75 -- Japan's pivotally mistaken views on how Americans would react," discusses why the Japanese made this fateful decision. FULL ARTICLE

Over the course of the semester 13 researchers (both students and faculty) collected data from 178 participants (PSYC 101 students) who make up our participant pool. The department ran a total of 14 different research projects and, overall, our participants earned 1,333 research 'credits'. As one credit amounts to 15 minutes worth of research participation, this equates to more than 330 continuous hours of data collection over the course of the semester. READ MORE

The English Department is thrilled to announce that Dr. Christian Kiefer will join Ashland University as the new Director of the Master of Fine Arts in Creative Writing and Associate Professor of English, effective January 1. READ MORE

Tuesday, December 6, 2016

The best vocal and instrumental performances of the fall semester will be showcased in the Fall Honors Recital on Thursday, December 8 at 7:30 p.m. in the Recital Hall. Fall 2016 performers include sopranos Abigale Brady and Elisha Hofer, mezzo-sopranos Andrea Disch and Sarah Napier, baritone Deric Dove, pianists Michael Woodeand Moriah Goldsmith, Chanel Bluntschly on saxophone, Jaylynn Buchmelter, trombone and Eileen Navratil, euphonium. The concert is free and open to the public.

Monday, December 5, 2016

On Tuesday, December 6 at 7:30 p.m. in the Elizabeth Pastor Recital Hall, several student chamber ensembles perform including the saxophone ensemble under the direction of Dr. Thomas Reed, as well as brass, string and percussion ensembles instructed by Michael Metcalf, Jane Reed and Jeffrey Neitzke, respectively. Mr. Neitzke also leads a jazz combo which will perform. The concert is free and open to the public.

Thursday, December 1, 2016

Ashland MFA faculty members and alumni are represented on multiple panels at the AWP Conference in Washington, DC, February 8-11, 2017. Please see the linked listing of conference sessions involving our Ashland writing community. We’ll be at Booth #167, so stop by and say hello. Ashland AWP Listing

By Corinne Spisz, Integrated Language Arts major...students and professors discussed the interpretation, the acting, and the relation of the performance to the written play. It was unanimous that Benedict Cumberbatch’s performance was extraordinary and emotional, and that he drew the audience into his performance. The rest of the cast performed well, but were overshadowed by Cumberbatch’s excellence... READ MORE

Political Science senior,Bryanna Austin, did an internship at the Buckeye Institute in Columbus, OH, this summer. She worked on several projects, but one resulted in a this Policy Brief on reforming occupational licensing requirements. Among other benefits of reform would be that it would help military families, who must move frequently. The report was co-authored with Rea S. Hederman Jr.

Tuesday, November 29, 2016

Dr. Michael Hudson, associate professor of geology, began teaching at Ashland University in 1982, where he taught earth science courses including mineralogy, geochemistry, metamorphic petrology and natural disasters. Beloved by his students, Dr. Hudson, or "Doc," served as the adviser to the Geology Club and director of the annual Mohican District Science Fair, and was the recipient of three Mentor Awards, a program that recognizes faculty or staff whose academic leadership with regard to students extends beyond the classroom. He was active with his students in geochemical research on rocks from both northern New York and north-central Ohio. He also served several terms as Faculty Senate president and was very active on various campus committees. He was a member of the Geological Society of America.

A memorial service celebrating Michael's life will be 11 a.m. Saturday, Dec. 3, 2016, at First Presbyterian Church, 320 Church St., Ashland, with the Rev. Michael Parker officiating. Friends may call from 4 to 8 p.m. Friday, Dec. 2, 2016 at the church. Memorial contributions may be made to First Presbyterian Church, 320 Church St., Ashland, Ohio; or to Ashland University Geology Club. READ MORE

Monday, November 28, 2016

The local holiday favorite TubaChristmas returns to Hugo Young Theatre on Saturday, December 3 at noon with Sandra Tunnell, Ashland City Council person and Ashland Main Street executive director, as the "Celebrity Tubist." The concert is free and open to the public and invites area tuba, euphonium and baritone players to perform. Musician registration will begin at 10:00 a.m. followed by a rehearsal at 10:20 a.m. READ MORE

Dr. Chris Swanson took the Society of Actuaries Exam on Models for Financial Economics on November 18 and passed. This was one of his goals for his senior study leave. Congratulations, Dr. Chris Swanson!

Digital Media Production 2014 graduate Andrea Stevenson always loved the radio
profession. From her days as on air talent at WRDL to her current position as
Promotions Director for Columbus Radio Group, Andrea approached her craft with
determination and passion. Andrea stated that she really loved her job because one of the
biggest perks was that "I get to meet a lot of cool celebrities like Ellie
Goulding, Charlie Pugh, Rachel Platten, and Andy Grammar."

Friday, November 18, 2016

Philosophy has always been useful, and practical, and theoretical too. The staff at the Houston Chronicle were able to sit down with Professor Gwen Bradford, her department chair Donald Morrison, and Peter Zuk, a graduate student at Rice University, to discuss the joys of philosophy."On the NBC sitcom "The Good Place," a young woman dies and gets an undeserved ticket to heaven. Once there, she enlists the help of a philosophy professor to teach her to become — belatedly — a good person." FULL ARTICLE

Thursday, November 17, 2016

The Department of Music at Ashland University announces the senior vocal recitals for Deric Dove, baritone, and Abbie Brady, soprano, who both study private voice with Stephanie Sikora. The recitals will be held on Sunday, Nov. 20 in the Elizabeth Pastor Recital Hall. Dove's recital begins at 3 p.m., and Brady's at 7:30 p.m. The concerts are free and open to the public. READ MORE

Ashland University’s Alexander Hamilton Society and the Institute for Humane Studies will host a debate titled “What is the best way to Fight Terrorism?” on Thursday, Nov. 17, at 5 p.m. in the Ronk Lecture Hall located in the Dwight Schar College of Education.
There will be multiple perspectives offered at the debate, including those from a libertarian, a moderate and an interventionist, and these perspectives will be represented by Dr. Will Ruger, Dr. Michael Rubin and Dr. Tom Nichols, respectively. FULL STORY

Wednesday, November 16, 2016

The Coburn Gallery will host simultaneous exhibitions including a fiber installation entitled “Divergence” created by Ohio artists Susan McClelland and Clare Murray Adams, and the senior art exhibition of Kara Mcwhinney. The exhibition will run from November 17 through December 18 with an opening reception on Thursday, Nov. 17, 4:30 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. FULL STORY

Tuesday, November 15, 2016

The Environmental Lecture Series will feature a lecture by award-winning author and photographer Dr. David FitzSimmons on Thursday, Nov. 17, at 7:30 p.m. in the Ronk Lecture Hall in the Dwight Schar College of Education. FitzSimmons will share his experiences of studying, photographing and writing about vernal pools in a presentation titled “If You Build It, They Will Come: Vernal Pools, Fauna, and a Whole Lot of Fun!” READ MORE

Monday, November 14, 2016

Dr. Jeff Weidenhamer, Trustees' Distinguished Professor of Chemistry, along with Professor of Chemistry Rebecca Corbin, Associate Professor of Geology Michael Hudson, senior biology major Meghann Fitzpatrick, and recent graduates Alison Biro and Peter Kobunski, are authors of a paper titled "Metal exposures from aluminum cookware: An unrecognized public health risk in developing countries," which has been accepted for publication in the journal Science of the Total Environment.

An Ashland University Jazz concert will be held on Monday, Nov. 21, at 7:30 p.m. in Hugo Young Theatre. The concert is free and open to the public. Under the direction of Dr. Scott Garlock, the concert will offer pre-concert music from a jazz combo followed by jazz standards performed by the Ashland University Jazz Orchestra (AUJO) and a newly formed AUJO Alumni Band. For any alumni who are interested and available to participate, a rehearsal will be held on Wednesday, Nov. 16, from 7 to 9 p.m. in the Elizabeth Pastor Recital Hall. READ MORE

Students in Dr. Metzger's Theories and Principles of Learning (PSYC 324) were recently learning about discrimination training and viewed an interesting video of pigeons that have learned to discriminate between the painting style of Picasso and Monet. The video goes on to show that these simple birds can discriminate some stimuli more effectively than humans! VIDEO HERE

Thursday, November 10, 2016

By Craig HoveyAfter yesterday’s election—indeed after months and months of the election—many people are exhausted and today a lot of Americans are profoundly nervous about what a Trump presidency will hold. I am one of those people too...But I’ve always insisted that there’s more to peace than simply avoiding war. Nonviolence is also a gentle spirit that looks for concord, that advances respect for people who are different, that lifts up the weak, and seeks justice for the oppressed. FULL STORY

Tuesday, November 8, 2016

Antonín Dvořák's Mass in D will be performed under the direction of Elizabeth Slade with the Ashland Area Chorus and several guest soloists including organist Susan Gregg, mezzo-sopranos Denise Milner Howell and Sandra Ross, tenor Tim Johnson and baritone Brian Keith Johnson. The concert will be held on Sunday, November 13 at 4 p.m. in the Jack and Deb Miller Chapel. The performance is free and open to the public with a freewill offering accepted to benefit the Sandy Brown Honorary Vocal Music Teacher Mini-Grant Fund. READ MORE

Ashland Police Detective Kim Mager was a guest speaker for CJ 362: Criminal Law class. Detective Mager, who is an Ashland University alumna, has been with the Ashland Police Division for 19 years, and specializes in the investigative bureau's sex offense cases. She spoke to the class regarding investigations and interrogations. READ MORE

AU's Social Work Club collected $1,677 in meal swipes and monetary donations through its "Give a Meal" service project. The money will be used to purchase food in bulk through AU's dining services, which will be donated to Associated Charities and the Ashland County food bank.

Monday, November 7, 2016

Beginning at 7 pm on Tuesday, Nov. 8, AUTV-20 will broadcast a live five hour
show that will cover the results from local, state and national races. WRDL 88.9 FM will simulcast
the audio from the AUTV-20 special and The Collegian will report
with live stories on its online site. For those who cannot
receive the Armstrong Cable feed of AUTV-20, the station can be viewed live through this streaming link: web stream link

On Friday, November 4, WRDL/88.9 FM, observed College
Radio Day. All across the country, hundreds of college radio stations celebrated the rare format that is college radio.

2016's theme, "Igniting the Soul of College Radio," paid
homageto the documentary aired in
the special simulcast.

“College radio stations are some of the
last independently owned stations – that is, not belonging to large media
networks – in the country,” says Derek Wood, student General Manager of WRDL. In
addition to it being an independent station, “WRDL is unique because it has an
FCC license, something which many college stations don’t have,” adds Wood. FULL STORY

Thursday, November 3, 2016

Twelve computer science students participated in the 2016 ACM East Central North America Regional Programming Contest that was held at Youngstown State University on Saturday, October 29. The students were split into four teams. For the first time in history of AU participation in the contest, each of the four AU teams solved one problem. STATS HERE

Dr. Mitchell Metzger, Professor and Chair of Psychology, presented a "distance research talk" titled Sugar, Faces, and Rats: The Winding Road of Psychological Research to faculty and students at Mississippi State - Meridian and the University of Central Missouri. He connected with these two sites using the Collaborate function in Blackboard. RECORDING HERE,

Wednesday, November 2, 2016

Students in the Criminal Investigation class have begun their multi-step crime scene project by processing a mock crime scene.

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﻿This is the second year for the project and Dr. Marc Hedrick, the professor of this course, and the one who developed this project last year, feels this project has both practical and academic applications.

Students documented the crime scene through notes about what they observed, as well as through photographs and measurements. Students then used these notes, photos, and measurements to create a to-scale sketch of the crime scene.

Tuesday, November 1, 2016

Grammar and Usage was the first class I took that counted towards my English major, and I had the privilege of having Dr. Stratton as my instructor. In truth, my first impression of him was a little bit cryptic. He spent the whole class period talking in analogies, many of which involved blue and red Chinese vases. I took copious notes, furiously scribbling down all manner of Chinese vase-related things, trying to decode some kind of message. I’m relieved to report that I eventually decoded most of what he was saying in that first class period—at least I think so. FULL STORY

After graduation, 2015 JDM graduate Rachel Gollhardt accepted a job as a general assignment
reporter for KFDA
NewsChannel 10 in Amarillo, Texas. She was
then promoted to morning reporter on TheEarly Show and has been anchoring the News at Noon program for the past seven months. Rachel reflects on her career saying, "I
thank my professors at Ashland University for my education, as it has certainly
helped me become a leader in the newsroom. My advice to students is to follow
your dream and apply to places that are out of your comfort zone."

Thursday, October 27, 2016

The Criminal Justice Club recently hosted Nicolle Valentine and Tim Batdorf from ThreeC Counseling. They spoke to the group about bridging the gap between criminal justice and psychology through methods of drug and alcohol counseling. READ MORE

Wednesday, October 26, 2016

Turkish singer, composer and scholar Latif Bolat has been selected for the 2016 Gretchen French Visiting Artist Series in Music at Ashland University. Bolat will visit Ashland University on October 31 and November 1 to present two workshops and a concert. All of the events are free and open to the public. READ MORE

Tuesday, October 25, 2016

Dr. David Tucker, a senior fellow at the Ashbrook Center at Ashland University, will speak on the topic of “What is the Best Way to Deal with ISIS, al Queda and Similar Organizations?” at the Ashbrook Center Colloquium on Friday, Oct. 28, at 3 p.m. in the Ashbrook Center. READ MORE

Ashland University’s 25th annual Environmental Lecture Series features the theme of “In Our Backyard, Year 2” and will kick off Thursday, Oct. 27, with a presentation by Dr. Lisa Rainsong, professor at the Cleveland Institute of Music. Dr. Rainsong will speak on the topic "Crickets and Katydids: Research by Ear" at the 7:30 p.m. event in Ronk Lecture Hall of the Schar College of Education. All events in the series are free and open to the public.

The Undergraduate Research and Creative Activity (URCA) Symposium Committee is pleased to announce the Call for Abstracts for the Eighth Annual College of Arts and Sciences URCA Symposium. This event will highlight the research, scholarly, and creative activities of students throughout the College of Arts and Sciences, and will be held on Tuesday, April 11, 2017.The deadline for submitting abstracts is 5:00 p.m. on Friday, January 27, 2017.

The Ashland University Choir, Chamber Singers and the Women's Chorus present their fall choral concert on Sunday, October 30 at 4 p.m. in the Jack and Deb Miller Chapel. The performance is free and open to the public.

With a program featuring selections from the Baroque period to contemporary pieces by living composers, the concert will bridge the old with the new by celebrating Dr. Rowland Blackley's 20-year tenure as Ashland University's Director of Choral Activities and Kimberly Wolbert's inaugural concert directing the Women's Chorus. READ MORE

Monday, October 24, 2016

The Theatre directing class is hosting auditions for their 10-Minute One-Act Festival on Monday, Oct. 24 at 7 p.m. in CFA Room 101. The performance will be held Dec. 13. The student-directors have chosen eight fantastic 10-minute plays which are funny, serious, thought-provoking. They include many roles for men and women. READ MORE

It is not every day that a college media student receives a scholarship to
attend a national professional conference. In fact, the chances that two
students from the same university academic program garner this honor is very
rare. However, Journalism and Digital Media majors Callan Pugh and Sean
Honaker are the exceptions to this rule. Callan and Sean received two of only
two hundred registration scholarships given to collegiate undergraduates and
graduate students for the Student Scholars Program at the 2016 Radio Show conference. READ MORE

Friday, October 21, 2016

As I start my senior year here at Ashland University, I can’t help but think of my time here and all the great memories that I’ll always treasure. I’ve made great friends, I’ve grown, and changed, and matured and I owe a lot of that to the English Department. I’ll be honest—in my first years here I wasn’t as involved with my Department as I should have been, but I finally began to click with it my junior year and I found a home. FULL STORY

Thursday, October 20, 2016

Just in time for the holiday season, the first-ever, student-run Art Pop-Up Shop will be held in the Coburn Gallery located in the Center for the Arts building on Friday, Oct. 21, 6:30 p.m. to 9 p.m. The event will allow customers to browse and purchase the artful handcrafted items created by AU art students and faculty. The Art Pop-Up Shop coincides with AU Theatre’s opening night performance of "The Autumn Garden." Cash or checks are accepted for all purchases.

"Going on this trip made me realize that there is more than just the few careers I had in mind. I decided to major in Criminal Justice because I wanted to be a prosecutor for a long time. Since majoring in this, I've changed my mind several times. I love all the options in Criminal Justice. This was beneficial because the gang investigation and corrections was very interesting to me. Seeing it hands on in person was very special." --Dominique Ciehanoski, freshman criminal justice major READ MORE

It’s difficult to overstate how much genuine human connections contribute to our well-being in all facets of life. I am learning that this is especially true of veterans. When people—often very different people—come together to share and to listen, great things can happen. FULL STORY

Tuesday, October 18, 2016

"Whenever I’ve spent too much time wondering if what I’m writing is an essay or memoir or literary nonfiction or anything else really, bad things start to happen. First I’ll stare at the screen as if it’s a divine oracle, and what I need to do is wait patiently for the answers to all my writing problems. When that fails, I gaze out my office window, watching the squirrels, wondering how they all stay so damn busy." Joe Mackall FULL BLOG POST

Cal Thomas, one of the most widely syndicated political columnists in America, will be speaking on the topic of “How We Got Here and Where We are Going if Things Don’t Change; What Works: Common Sense Solutions for a Stronger America” at the Ashbrook Center’s Major Issues Lecture Series on Oct. 20 at 7 p.m. in the Myers Convocation Center. FULL STORY

“Ashland University and the Conversa Language Institute have a long standing relationship and this is the next natural step toward allowing students from all over the world to complete AU coursework in Spanish online or residentially through the Conversa Language Institute in Santa Ana,” said Dr. Dawn Weber, dean of the AU College of Arts and Sciences. “We are proud of this project, which is just one of many international partnerships the university is pursuing under the direction of Provost Dr. Eun-Woo Chang.” FULL STORY

Monday, October 17, 2016

The 2016 Math and Computer Science Newsletter is now available on the Math and Computer Website. Stay up to date on the latest student, alumni and faculty news including updates on competitions, presentations and honors including the actuarial program's ranking in the Top 40 programs in the country. NEWSLETTER HERE

The Self-Propelled Voyager, written by Dr. Duncan Jamieson, Professor of History at Ashland University, was recently reviewed by Bill Sund, Professor Emeritus of History at Stockholm University. The review is available on the Nordic Sport Science Forum. Dr. Jamieson's reviews of cycling-related works were also published recently. READ MORE

Friday, October 14, 2016

The Department of Theatre opens the 2016-2017 season with Lillian Hellman's drama The Autumn Garden on Friday, October 21.As explained by director Teresa Durbin-Ames, "Hellman’s play has given the cast and audience an opportunity to explore complicated characters, most of who are not being honest with themselves and others." Along with theatre majors, the cast and crew also include representation from several other departments across campus including forensic biology, psychology, history, education, sports communication, Spanish and French. Travel back to 1949 with AU Theatre to the deep south for this annual reunion of old acquaintances in their forties. FULL STORY

The Department of Global Education will host a presentation by Dr. Young-Hwan Park on October 17 at 3 p.m. in the Student Center Auditorium. Korean Wave Culture has become widely popular in Eastern Asia, such as China, Japan and Taiwan since the late 90s. Dr. Park will address how this has impacted Asian cultures and spread across the globe.

Thursday, October 13, 2016

The award winners have been announced for the Ashland County High School Juried Art Exhibition that will run through November 6 in the University’s Coburn Gallery. Marguerite Mitchell from Ashland High School was awarded Best in Show and People's Choice for her ceramic sculpture entitled Marina. Honorable mentions were awarded to Emily Stevens and Camryn Hall from Crestview High School, Skylar Hildebrandt of Mapleton High School and Audra Gilespie of Ashland High School. Two juror mentions were awarded on technical qualities to Peter Zimmerman and Ellie Harlan of Ashland High School.

The Ashland University Problem Solving Group received credit for submitting a correct solution to Problem 334, in the September, 2016 issue of Math Horizons. Grace McCourt was the primary author of the solution.

This week, Ashland University will be hosting the Ohio Conference Association’s (OCA) 80th Annual Conference, the theme of which is Strong Roots – Branches of Communication. The following students from AU will be presenting this year:

Digital Media Journalism May 2016 graduate Halee Heironimus is working as a reporter for the Medina Gazette covering local news in northern Medina County, Ohio. Heironiumus was the former managing editor of The Collegian, a sideline
reporter for the WRDL and AUTV 20 broadcasts of Ashland University football and
basketball games and the originating producer/anchor for the AUTV 20 News Break
program. She was also a two-time JDM academic scholar.